Bonnet lid fastening device



Nov. 3, 1964 PERAS 3,155,408

BONNET LIDFASTENING DEVICE 7} Filed Nov. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Lae/er Q5 Nov. 3, 1964 L. PERAS 3,155,408

BONNET LID FASTENING DEVICE Filed Nov. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UnitedStates Patent 3,155,408 BONNET LID FASTENING DEVICE Lucien Peras,Billancourt, France, assignor to Regie Nationale des Usines Renault,Billancourt, France Filed Nov. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 238,159 Claimspriority, application France, Nov. 21, 1961, 879,628, Patent 1,313,913 1Claim. (Cl. 292-216) This invention relates to fastening devices such ascatches or locks of luggage compartment lids and more particularly ofautomobile bonnet lids, and provides a safety fastening device forautomobile lids or bonnets which is characterized inter alia by thefollowing advantages:

(1) Flexible cable opening control system;

(2) Automatic fastening by allowing the lid to drop, or by pushing same;

(3) The provision of a safety catch giving a half closed or incompleteposition;

(4) During the lid opening movement, the lid is slightly shifted outsideits frame so that it can be seized with the hand after actuating thelock and subsequent to the positive ejection effect due to the spring;

(5) The weatherstrips are compressed toward the end of the closingmovement by the (negative) spring effect.

According to the present invention, the bonnet lid lock or catchconsists mainly of two separate members interconnected by a control pin,i.e.:

(a) The control and safety device;

(b) The movable closing keeper and the bonnet centering device.

This invention is characterized essentially in that it comprises afastening device wherein a cross member of the vehicle body supports thecontrol and lock members as well as the movable-keeper closing device engaging the bolt carried by bonnet lid, these control and lock membersand the keeper being separated and operatively interconnected by meansof a pin whereby the operator, by acting on the control member and witha single movement will release firstly the lock members and then thekeeper 15 from the bolt.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides inthe novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a section taken through the front portion of the body of anautomobile and the rear portion of a hingedly mounted bonnet along aplane at right angles to the lock-supporting body cross member on theside of the bonnet lid lock members;

FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 show respectively the lock members in the bonnetclosing, half-closing and opening positions;

FIGURE 5 is a section similar to FIG. 1 but taken from the side of thelock bolt and keeper, the keeper being in locking engagement with thebolt;

FIGURE 6 shows the same members as FIG. 5 but with the keeper releasedfrom the bolt;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary section taken upon the line VII-VII of FIG. 5;and

FIGURE 8 is a plan view from above showing the cross member of thevehicle body which supports the lock members as well as the keeper, thebonnet being removed.

Referring firstly to FIG. 1 the reference numerals 1 and 2 designaterespectively the vehicle bonnet and an internal cross-member forreinforcing the bonnet; the body 3 comprises a marginal portion or frame4 defining the bonnet aperture and carrying a Weatherstrip 5. The fixedcross member 6 supporting the lock is secured on the one hand on thedashboard 7 and on the other hand on the partition 8 defining the space9 in which the different component elements of the heat ing, defrostingand ventilating system of the vehicle are housed. Secured by bolts 13 onthis cross member are a pair of brackets 10, 11 carrying bearings forrotatably mounting the control pin 14. This pin 14 has one end rigidwith the movable keeper 15 and the other end solid with the lock member16. This lock member 16 is constantly urged for rotation in'thedirection of arrow 17 by the inherent elasticity of the weatherstrips,but nevertheless it is held in its closed position by a super-abundantlyantagonistic traction spring 18 so that the arrangement provides anegative effect; the lock member 16 is formed with a pair of notches 21,22 and has a link 23 pivoted at 24 on its upper portion. Formed in theopposite end of this link 23 is an elongated aperture 25 engaged by apin 26 solid with the lock control cable 27 and also with the lock arm28. The latter is rotatably mounted on a fixed pin 29 and urged in thedirection of arrow 31 by a spiral spring 30; moreover, this lock arm 28comprises a tooth 32 adapted to co-act with the notches 21 and 22 of thekeeper member, in a manner to be set forth presently.

The free end of cable 27 is attached to a control handle 33 by beingwound in a central groove 34 thereof may be guided in flexible pipes orsheaths 36 permitting the necessary changes in direction while sealingthe passages through the dashboard or like partitions.

This arrangement is completed by a bolt 37 secured on the cross member 2by means of a strap 38, and also by a cylindrical boss 39 rigid orformed integrally with the bracket 11 for the purpose of constantlycentering the bonnet during its closing movement by engaging acomplementary recess of strap 38.

This bonnet lock operates as follows:

In the closed position of the bonnet as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5,the tooth 32 of lock arm 28 engages the notch 22 of lock member 16(FIG. 1) rigid with pin 14 carrying the keeper 15 in locking engagementwith bolt 37 (FIG. 5).

To open the bonnet lid the control handle 33 is pulled home to rock thelink 23 downwards and thus carry along both the lock arm 28 (in therelease direction opposite to arrow 31, FIG. 1) and the lock member 16(in the direction at arrow 17). The member 16 is urged in the openingdirection by the coil tension spring 18 immediately after clearing theposition in which said spring is aligned with pin 14. The member 16,link 23 and arm 28 are in the respective posi tions illustrated in FIG.2, and the bolt 37 is lifted by the movable keeper 15 carried along bythe pin 14 rigid with member 16 (FIG. 6).

Upon releasing the handle 33, the lock arm 23 urged by spring 30 in thedirection of arrow 31 moves to the position shown in FIG. 4 and duringthis movement carries along the link 33 and the control cable 27, thusgiving the open-bonnet position of the parts.

To close the bonnet lid the latter is either simply allowed to drop ordepressed manually; thus, the bolt 37 pushes the keeper 15 which,through the medium of pin 14, carries along the lock member 16 in thedirection of posite to the arrow 17. This movement of rotation of member16 permits the locking engagement of lock arm 3 28 (urged by spring 30)either with notch 21 if an incomplete closing position is desired, orwith notch 22 if the lid is to be closed completely (FIG. 1).

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with apreferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications andvariations may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit andscopeof the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand.Such modifications and variations are considered to be within thepurview and scope or the invention and appended claim.

I claim:

Device for fastening the bonnet lid of a vehicle, characterized in thata cross member of the vehicle body supports control and lock members aswell as a locking device proper comprising a movable keeper engaging abonnet-carried bolt, said control and lock members and said keeper beingseparated and operatively interconnected by a pin, whereby a singleactuation of the control member is suflicient for firstly releasing thelock members and subsequently the keeper from the bolt, and wherein twobrackets carried by said cross member of the vehicle body are providedwith bearings for receiving the connecting pin rigid on the one handwith the movable keeper and on the other hand with the lock memberproper urged by a spring and provided with two notches, one for lockingthe bonnet lid in the closed position and another for keeping the bonnetlid in a half-closed position, said lock member co-acting with a toothformed on a lock arm pivoted on a fixed pin and urged by a spring, saidlock arm carrying another pin slidably engaging an elongated apertureformed in a link pivoted on said lock member and so connected to atraction control cable that when said cable is pulled the pin of saidlock arm moves to one end of said elongated aperture and carries alongthe lock member while releasing the tooth of said lock arm and rotatingsaid keeper, whereby said keeper lifts the bolt and the bonnet lid.

Rediger Feb. 7, 1939 Allen Aug. 26, 1952

